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Baltimore Orioles: MLB notices Austin Hays as top prospect

By Kristen Bentley

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 23: Austin Hays #18 of the Baltimore Orioles runs to catch a fly ball hit by Adeiny Hechavarria #11 of the Tampa Bay Rays (not pictured) in the seventh inning during a baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 23: Austin Hays #18 of the Baltimore Orioles runs to catch a fly ball hit by Adeiny Hechavarria #11 of the Tampa Bay Rays (not pictured) in the seventh inning during a baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty) /
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The baseball season is about to get underway as pitchers and catchers report, so the Baltimore Orioles eyes are on players who can make an impact.

One of those future Baltimore Orioles players is also catching the attention of the MLB-at-large.

Austin Hays, the young outfielder, has caught the attention the MLB and was featured in a piece by Jonathan Mayo with MLB.com.

In the piece, Mayo ranked Hays second under Shohei Otani of Los Angeles Angels organization. Otani has been compared to Babe Ruth, with his ability to pitch, play defense in the outfield, and hit for power.

Quite an honor

To place Hays second under a player of this caliber says something about the young Orioles outfielder. In his article, Mayo said about Hays:

"“The 2016 third-round pick surprised many by playing his way from the Class A Advanced Carolina League up to the big leagues, with a .958 OPS in the Minors along the way. He will be given an opportunity to win a corner outfield spot this spring and his power will play in the big leagues.”"

Ranked above notable prospects

Surprisingly, Hays is ranked above players like Willie Calhoun and Gleyber Torres in the American League. These two have garnered significant attention. Calhoun was involved in the Yu Darvish trade in 2017. And, Torres was discussed as a viable trade piece for Manny Machado. But, Mayo placed Hays above them despite the lack of coverage Hays has had on the national stage despite being on the cover of Baseball America this winter. 

Unfortunately, the Orioles have been without a full-time right fielder since Nick Markakis entered free agency and signed with the Atlanta Braves. At this point in the off-season, right field will most likely be a revolving door that will feature Joey Rickard, Mark Trumbo, and Austin Hays. Of course, as a 22-year-old freshly drafted in 2016, Hays has something to prove. He has to prove he can hang with the big boys in spring training.

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Where he stands in the organization

To protect his minor league options, the Orioles kept him on the 40-man roster at the end of the season. So, the Orioles will involve him in spring training. Surprisingly, in his short time in the minor leagues, he recorded a slash of .330/.370/.576 with 36 home runs.

The kid can clearly hit.

Of course, he will have to adjust to the Big League pitchers. And, he put up a good fight in his cup of coffee in 2017. With 60 at-bats, he hit .217/.238/.317 with one dinger and eight RBIs. Remember, that Chris Davis hit .215/.309/.423 in 2017. Yes, Davis hit for more power. But, it’s an interesting comparison to see.

Next: Thoughts on new catcher: Andrew Susac

Keep your eyes on Hays in the next few weeks as the rest of the Orioles show up in Sarasota.

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